The invention relates to a spinning device for the production of a spun thread from a fiber bundle, comprising a nozzle block with a fiber conveying channel, with a fiber feed surface for guiding the fibres and with a nozzle part with one or more nozzles, which impose a rotating air flow onto the fiber bundle, and a rotating or stationary hollow spindle with an intake mouth to a yarn channel for taking up the fibres delivered from the fiber feed surface and for guiding the spun thread.
In such a spinning device, the fibres are either guided by a drafting device or a suction drum against the fibre conveying channel, and are guided in this channel into the intake mouth of a rotating or stationary hollow spindle. The front ends of such fibres are guided in the fibre bundle and in the intake mouth or in the yarn channel respectively, while rear free ends are splayed and taken up by the rotating air flow, and are rotated around the front ends, already located in the intake mouth or in the yarn channel respectively, i.e. the bundled front ends, in order thereby to produce a yarn with real twist, similar to a ring-spun yarn. It may be noted that the term xe2x80x9cfrontxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9crearxe2x80x9d ends of the fibres were selected in connection with the direction of conveying of the fibres.
In practice, however, the distance between the outlet of the fibre conveying channel and the intake mouth of the spindle is very small, for example one millimeter, with the result that the spinning process has a certain sensitivity to dirt particles, in particular to small fragments of shell particles. In the event of a fault, it is therefore necessary for the distance between the spindle and the fibre conveying channel to be widened, in such a way that a cleaning process becomes possible.
A further need for the spindle to be separated from the fiber conveying channel and from the nozzles respectively, arises during spinning starting, since for starting a yarn end of the yarn which was last spun must be brought back through the spindle in the direction of the fiber guide channel, and possibly even further through this fiber guide channel against the delivery rollers of a drafting device delivering the fibres.
For this purpose, the prior art in DE 4308392 A 1 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,110) provides for the spindle to be capable of being moved backwards from the spinning unit in an axial direction sufficiently far for a suction element located in between to be able to suck the yarn end through the spindle and bring it against the spinning unit.
In a further example of the prior art, in EP 807699 A 2 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,209), such a method is additionally supplemented by a blower device, by means of which the yarn end is blown through the fiber conveying channel against the pair of delivery rollers of the drafting device, in order, at the start of spinning, for the yarn end to be joined to the newly delivered fibres from the drafting device.
The disadvantage of these methods lies in the elaborate process stages as well as in the elaborate device which guides the elements apart in the axial direction of the spinning process. Also, auxiliary elements must be introduced in between in order for finally bringing the yarn end to that position at which it should be for it to be introduced to the fibres being delivered. This leads to the fact that such devices are, as a rule, arranged vertically, i.e. the drafting device takes up the fibre bundle from the spinning device from a container located beneath it, and, as a rule, delivers the finished fibre bundle in the vertical direction to the spinning unit. This arrangement is the most purposeful with regard to the operation of the spinning unit, since the operating personnel have a good overview of the spinning process and good access for the operation of the spinning elements. As a rule, also, the spooling unit is designed as far as possible in such a way that it can be served from the same side of the machine. If, as mentioned earlier, the elements of the whole unit now need to be guided apart from one another in the direction of spinning in order to, for example, introduce assistance media between them or for spinning start-up (also called piecing), then this necessity to move them apart leads to an inconveniently long, i.e. high, arrangement which is not favourable for the operating personnel.
It is therefore an object of the invention to simplify the method of cleaning the spinning location or spinning start-up. Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
Objects of the invention are solved in that at least the fibre conveying channel is capable of being divided and opened in such a way that the fibre guide surface is exposed and accessible.
As an advantage, the nozzle section is also capable of being divided and opened in such a way that is exposed and accessible. It is further of advantage for the spindle to be designed as capable of being divided accordingly in such a way that the yarn channel is exposed and accessible.
The advantage of the invention lies in the fact that all three of the elements mentioned can be opened in a direction perpendicular to the direction of spinning, without the axial dismantling of the entire spinning unit, with the result that accessibility is optimally provided to the critical point between the intake mouth of the spindle and the outlet point of the yarn guide channel.